Advanced skippering techniques for yachts men and women with considerable knowledge of sailing and navigation, wanting to undertake coastal passages by day and night.
Like the Day Skipper course, this course consists of skippered passages in a variety of situations. Each trainee will skipper more challenging passages and learn more about passage planning, pilotage by day and night, boat handling, safety and emergency situations.
It is a satisfying but intensive week, with candidates often working towards a Certificate of Competence. This may involve longer passages up to the Historic Port of Plymouth or over to the magnificent Isles of Scilly. Once into Falmouth Bay access to the South West is easy, which is England’s finest cruising waters, sailing along the beautiful Cornish Southern coast.
You will have needed to have either completed the Coastal Skipper/Yachtmaster Offshore shorebased course beforehand or have the relevant experience to this as there is insufficient time to teach you this theory during the week.
Coastal Skippers should be able to undertake more difficult passages by day and night and handle the yacht in more demanding conditions. By the end of the course you should have the knowledge, if not the experience, to become a Yachtmaster.
The course will be taken in tidal and your certificate will be endorsed accordingly.
Pre-course Experience: 15 days, 2 days as skipper, 300 miles, 8 night hours
Assumed Knowledge: Boat handling to the standard of Day Skipper and navigation to shorebased Coastal Skipper.
Minimum Duration: 5 days
Minimum age: 17
Course content: Passage planning, preparation for sea, pilotage, passage making and ability as skipper, yacht handling under power, yacht handling under sail, adverse weather conditions, emergency situations.
Ability on completion of the course: Able to skipper a yacht on coastal passages by day and night.
RYA Coastal Skipper